Unemployment in California is at 12.2 percent and expected to go higher when the new figures come out this month. Newly minted college graduates are having trouble getting jobs. Teachers and other laid off professionals are having trouble.
So how bad is the job market for those applicants who, when they fill out an employment application, have to check the YES box next to the question that asks if you’ve ever been convicted of a felony?
Even in good economic times, studies have indicated that 65 percent of all American employers say they won’t hire felons.
This leaves California in general, and LA in particular with a problem. In our state, 130,00 adults are paroled from prison every year. More than a third of them will come to Los Angeles, which is already home to the largest parole population in the U.S. The majority of those parolees will need jobs.
The Wall Street Journal reports that in this market, people with with 20-year old misdemeanor conviction records are running into trouble, and acting to get their records expunged.
But with felonies, people are pretty much out of luck.
I spoke to a young man just last night, an 18-year-old former gang member who is trying to set his life right. He’s a smart and personable guy. But he has a juvenile felony conviction. He told me me that he’s been looking for a job since this summer. He’s tried everywhere he can think of. All the chains like Target and Home Depot, MacDonalds, mom and pop stores. . But, thus far, no one has been even willing to interview him.
I worry that he will resort to less-than-legal means just to pay his bills.
It is no accident that California has the highest recidivism rate in the nation.
Rachel Mayrow of NPR’s California Report has an excellent story about the problem and what a few compassionate employers are doing to help out.
Goodwill Industries, is one of those places that is stepping up. And they’re not the only ones.
Tri-Ced Recycling, the state’s largest non-profit recycling company, is committed to helping people with such barriers to employment.
It isn’t enough, but it is a beginning.
This leaves California in general, and LA in particular with a problem. In our state, 130,00 adults are paroled from prison every year. A large percent of them will come to Los Angeles, which is already home to the largest parole population in the U.S. The majority of those parolees will need jobs.
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We need more sanctuary cities and illegal immigrants to help solve the unemployment problems od California. The 25% illegal immigrant inmates in L.A. county jail keep The new L.A. sheriffs employed.
I say we deport WTF.
LOL your words are meaningless
You say deport, deport, deport …
But lets get real,
who’s getting deported?
Are the ICE buses backed up a mile at the frontera?
You silly hombre… no one is getting deported.
We are here to stay, our children and our childrens, children.
I have a friend that was laid off just before last Christmas, 3 kids at home and one in college. Has done some handy man work but no luck elsewhere. He’s 55 and was laid off because he mande $4 more an hour than the illegals who worked at his construction supply company. He had seniority but why keep a guy whose been a loyal employee when cheaper labor is available?
I don’t like the idea that parolled cons will be victimizing more innocents due to the job situation, but they’re last in line due to their own choices. My friend made good choices and he deserves a job before any of them, just like countless others.
Felons should have thought about consequences before committing crimes. But, you can always count on the Democrats to help felons, which constitutes a solid voting block for them.
The unemployment statistics are much worse than reported when you consider those not counted because they have simply given up.
Now, if California wants to reduce unemployment, it should:
(1)Reduce taxes on businesses so that they can afford to hire more and to stop companies from leaving to more tax-friendly states,
(2) Lower the minimum wage which would especially help teenagers and others in entry-level jobs,
(3) Deport illegals who use up public services and undercut wages from people who actually report their income and pay taxes,
(4) Reduce wasteful regulations, mandates, and environmental requirements on companies, and
(5) Cut off unemployment benefits to people who aren’t really trying to find jobs as long as they get “their checks”…and, there are PLENTY of those, and
(6) Actually spend “stimulus” dollars on jobs rather than pork and phony numbers.
I have three friends out of work for months, all with degrees one with a PHD in micro biology.
What chance does a felon have? NONE
The jobs that would be available to felons have all been taken by “undocumented” alins.
The real or “U6” unemployment rate in CA is about 19 percent.
It is likely that this rate will continue to edge up because of demographics, the baby boomers are all heading for retirement and are now saving like crazy instead of spending. The echo boom will not hit their peak earning and spending for another 10+ years 2020. Consumer spending is 70 pct of GDP and it is still headed down.
The
Obama administration is doing a few things right like extending unemployment and rebuilding infrastructure, but they are fighting a strong demographic-population tide going the other direction.
It’s a really tough issue. It’s hard to blame employers who’d prefer people who haven’t been convicted of crimes and yet we’d be way better off as a society if these people had jobs. So how do we make things better?
For the record, I agree that illegal immigration is a problem in this context though I’m not sure there’s an easy solution to that issue either.
My gut feeling is that the whole parole system is bogus and way too lax – there should be a re-entry program that’s more fully supervised, complete with “half-way houses” and mandatory employment and/or community college, even if it’s totally government-funded. Then another step…and then another. Successful completion of a phased re-entry program MIGHT decrease the liklihood of recidivism and make private employers – assuming they’re hiring anyone at all – feel more comfortable taking some tax-incentive to hire an ex-felon. I’d rather see my tax money go to some serious effort to socialize these guys than to know they’ll be back in prison at public expense – including the externalitie$ of additional crime$ and pro$ecution. The FOX Theater was renovated here in Oakland using guys who were ex-felons and the project was very successful. Ironically, so far as I know the city was a late-comer – the developer took the initiative just because he was committed to the idea.
Illegal immigration – insofar as it’s a terrible burden on labor markets – could be easily solved by cracking down on employers in a couple of industries – but the right would rather blather about cops and walls, which is bullshit and won’t do any more to solve the problem than more drug cops will end the “drug war.” I’d put most of the folks who have established themselves here, have families and employment, etc. through a citizenship process and at the same time make it near impossible for employers who were hiring for anything other than yardwork, nannies and dishwashing to use non-legal-residents. In an era of ATM cards, this is a no-brainer. Of course it would rob the right of the comforts of their racist rants and identity politics.
Liberals are famous for race baiting and group identification. To them, no one is just an American but they have to be hyphenated Americans, expected to conform to racial, ethnic, or gender identities – as long as its liberal. So, I love it when reg accuses “others” of racist rants and identity politics.
You’re hiding behind your own bullshit – nobody plays victim or identity politics more than white male assholes.
There’s nobody in these comments threads who persistently demonstrates more of a victim “Please don’t let me be misunderstood!” mentality than Woody, Surefire and PopLocked. “Wahhh! The world is changing and nobody wuvs me anymore !!!” “I’m doing so much for you people that I deserve better health care than your children or your Grandmother !!!” “I’m not a racist…you just don’t like my jokes !” “Nobody’s smarter than me because….I have a Masters Degree…in Accounting !!!!”
These are bitter, aggressively offensive little men who come here because they’re desperate for attention and can’t handle it when they’re dismissed as fools. Childish and arrogant – the worst possible combination.
“Lou Dobbs, the longtime CNN anchor whose anti-immigration views have made him a TV lightning rod, said Wednesday that he is leaving the cable news channel effective immediately.”
Best of luck to this worthless piece of shit. May he find “a la chingada”.
“New Jersey State Police were called to Lou Dobbs’ home last month to investigate a report of gunfire. Mr. Dobbs suggested that his family had been singled out because of his views on illegal immigration and border security.”
He was stinkin’ up the neighborhood then.
http://fromtheleft.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/lou-dobbs.jpg
Reg is from Oakland, now I understand why he’s the way he is. He’s one of the countless cop hating racists that call that gutter town home.
It’s all clear to me now.
You work at Your Black Muslim Bakery Reg, or just a supporter?
OO OOH … Sure Grip is back from the bar … And not in a good mood either!
Now he’ll be sonofabitching everyone … hmm?
Perhaps putting a nice delicious Hungry Man in the micro well quell the great white hope sure grip?
After all … Nothing cures a depression like a full stomach.
Maybe a slice of aunt Bee’s blueberry pie a la mode afterwards for the ‘Gipper’.
Why you an angry man Sure Grip?
K-k-k-a-n-t we all get along?
Please at least refrain from calling out the women and Celeste. I think you can manage at least that eh big boy?
RUSH DOUG McINTYRE HANNITY KEVIN BACON MIKE SAVAGE DOBBS
I fear that those at the helm of this anti multiculturalism movement are like Slim Pickens in Dr. Strangelove. They are gleefully riding this massive wave of peace extinguishing destruction to the fiery depths of metaphorical hell hootin n a hollerin all the way.
Looks like the shape shiting girl aka Anonymousa aka pedrito y su burro, don culo, officer krupke, Andy Griffith, Lalo had one to many ramos gin fizz drinks and is posting comments while drunk again.
Maybe Walter Moore and Sheriff Arpaio need to vist Anonymousa and cure her gavachophobia. lol, hahaha, lmfao yuck yuck
Woody Says:
November 11th, 2009 at 8:57 am
Felons should have thought about consequences before committing crimes. But, you can always count on the Democrats to help felons, which constitutes a solid voting block for them.
…………
Hell yeh! And with drug laws, conservatives will eventually make our base ginormous!
Woody Says:
November 11th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Liberals are famous for race baiting and group identification.
……………
I know, Woody. It all started with that RINO Abraham Lincoln, didn’t it?
Sure Fire Says:
November 11th, 2009 at 6:26 pm
Reg is from Oakland, now I understand why he’s the way he is. He’s one of the countless cop hating racists that call that gutter town home.
It’s all clear to me now.
…………..
Not true. Everybody hates the police, not just people in Oakland.
Surefire – I’m afraid you’ve got me confused with your fellow piece-of-shit cop, Sgt. Longmire.
“Gutter town”?
That’s ridiculous.
Oakland is a GREAT city.
No Sure Fire needed ‘there.’
Celeste – aren’t you so glad you have allowed Rob Thomas to shit all over your blog. He brings such quality comments. Every comment that asshole makes is full of vile and hate. He will turn this blog to a shit hole just like every other one he visits.
And there’s no vile or hate in that comment ^^^. Wow.
Guess who the serial posting whacko is?
His initial are D.Q.
Google “Don Quixote Lou Dobbs”
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Just like Coulter, Hannity, Savage, Limbaugh, etc., etc., Dobbs is a construct invented by enterprising people who know that the more absurd and extreme they act, the better they can appeal to the more base instincts of a skittish undereducated public who is looking for the blood of convenient scapegoats. These performers know what they’re doing, and are getting filthy rich of their acts. But c’mon, no one can really be like the character “Lou Dobbs†performs on TV, can they? That disingenuous grin on that fat face, the way he grits his teeth and fumes “THE OUTRAGE… THOSE IDIOTS…â€, name-calling as a debating tactic, etc.
Not everyone hates the police Robbie, internet pussies like you don’t even get a vote.
OK, Sure Fire, cops’ families like the police, I’ll give you that. Well, at least they pretend to… They sort of have to.
Actions have consequences.
Molesting a child, raping a woman, robbing a bank, stealing a car — all of those actions have consequences.
Working hard, studying, saving money — those actions have consequences, too.
Yes, of course felons have a hard time convincing people to entrust them with their lives, their property, and their business. Is that supposed to be surprising?
You want to work on that problem? Focus on getting people to obey the law in the first place.
P.S. If you would read my blog — which you of course should — you would already know that unemployment in the City of Los Angeles is at 14.0%. Thank you, Mayor Villaraigosa, for managing, through your policies, to make the economy even worse here than it is everywhere else! We are so lucky to have a “progressive” in office, rather than some cretin who would try to make this a good place for employers.
Hi Walter. Delighted you stopped by.
Yeh, Moore, only Los Angeles has a high unemployment rate. It’s boom times in the rest of the country!
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